Nepali Red Lentil Dal

Equipment

• ✓ Medium saucepan with lid
• ✓ Small tempering pan
• ✓ Fine-mesh strainer
• ✓ Chef’s knife
• ✓ Chopping board
• ✓ Wooden spoon or ladle
• ✓ Whisk
• ✓ Kitchen scale
• ✓ Measuring jug

Ingredients

• For the Dal
• 250 g red lentils (masoor dal)
• 950 ml water
• 100 g onion, finely chopped
• 150 g ripe tomato, finely chopped
• 15 g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 g turmeric powder
• 5 g fine salt, then adjust to taste
• For the Tempering
• 25 ml mustard oil or neutral oil
• 5 g cumin seeds
• 12 g garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 dried red chillies, broken in half
• 1 g jimbu, optional
• 1 g red chilli powder, optional
• To Finish
• 15 g fresh coriander, chopped
• 10 ml fresh lemon juice, optional
• 100–200 ml hot water, only as needed to adjust the final consistency

Easy Step-by-Step Method

Complete one numbered step before moving to the next. Keep the heat and timing exactly as written.

Chef Notes & Tips

The quality of this dal depends more on texture and tempering than on adding many spices. Cook the red lentils until they are completely soft, then use the cumin-garlic tempering to give the bowl its final aroma.

Ingredient choices: Red lentils are ideal here because they collapse naturally and make a creamy dal without a blender. Mustard oil gives a sharper Nepali character, while neutral oil keeps the flavour softer. Jimbu is excellent if you know the ingredient and have a reliable source; if not, simply omit it.

Cooking control: Keep the simmer gentle once the lentils soften, because thick dal can spit and catch on the base. Garlic should be pale to medium golden, never dark brown. The finished dal should pour from a ladle in a smooth ribbon and should not sit on the plate like mashed lentils.

Flavour balance: Taste in this order—salt, thickness, tomato acidity, then heat. Lemon is optional and should brighten the dal, not make it taste sour.

If something goes wrong: If the dal is too thick, add hot water in small amounts. If it is too thin, simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes. If the base scorches, transfer the unburnt dal to a clean pan without scraping the bottom. If the tempering burns, remake that small pan; burnt garlic or jimbu will make the entire pot bitter.

Ingredient Substitutions

• ↔ Red lentils → yellow split lentils
• ↔ Mustard oil → sunflower or vegetable oil
• ↔ Jimbu → omit if unavailable
• ↔ Fresh tomato → canned chopped tomato
• ↔ Fresh coriander → omit or use a small amount of parsley
• ↔ Dried red chilli → fresh green chilli
• ↔ Lemon juice → lime juice

Food Safety & Doneness

Rinse lentils before cooking.
Cook lentils until completely tender with no firm centre remaining.
Handle hot oil carefully when preparing the tempering.
Pour tempering into the dal slowly to avoid hot-oil splashing.
Keep cooked dal hot until service or cool promptly for refrigeration.
Reheat refrigerated dal until piping hot throughout.

Serving & Plating

Serve the dal hot in a small bowl beside steamed rice.
Finish with fresh coriander and a small spoonful of aromatic tempering if desired.
For a traditional Nepali presentation, serve alongside tarkari, achar, saag and rice.
Keep the consistency pourable rather than excessively thick.

Serve hot with steamed rice, a cooked vegetable and achar if desired. Stir before portioning so the lentils and liquid are evenly distributed.

Storage

Cool leftover dal promptly and transfer to a covered food-safe container.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days for best quality.

Reheat thoroughly over medium heat, adding a little water if the dal has thickened.

Dal can also be frozen in suitable containers for approximately 2 months.

Nutrition & Dietary Information

Carbohydrates: 42 g

Fat: 9 g

Allergens: No major allergens are inherently required in the recipe. Check packaged spices and other ingredients for cross-contact where strict dietary requirements apply.

Approximate nutrition per serving:

Calories: ~310 kcal
Protein: ~16 g
Carbohydrates: ~42 g
Fat: ~9 g
Fibre: ~9 g

Values are estimates and vary according to oil quantity and ingredient brands.